Rebuilding
by Carreercrim331
Summary: 6 months after Grima's defeat, Chrom and his army recieve a message from the New King of Plegia asking for a meeting to discuss the future of their nations. Sequel to Betrayal
1. Chapter 1

Alex sat at the head of a long table in the inn his group was staying in. After Robin's sacrifice in killing Grima, he and Ruby had left Chrom and his army to pick up the pieces of the country. The Dread Fighter didn't want to have anything to do with them anymore, so he and his sister had returned to their previous choice of career, hired swords. However, this time it wasn't just them.

Inigo and Owain sat alongside him as they ate their dinner. They had decided to join the pair of mercs after the war. Lowering his head, Alex remembered what had happened after the war had ended.

Flashback

After Robin and Grima had vanished, Naga had used her power to pull the two armies off of the falling Dragon's back, leaving them in a field overlooking where the body of the great beast had landed.

Sumia had immidialty fallen onto her knees, her hands covering her face doing little to suppress her sobs. Ruby knelt down next to her, giving her friend support even though she herself was on the verge of tears.

Alex could only stare down at the remains of Grima, one of the greatest evils their world had ever known, and one of the greatest men Alex had ever met had given his life to kill it. The Dread Fighter let out a series of deep breaths has he tried to control his grief.

His peace, however, was shattered by a scoff.

"Well, he deserved that."

Spinning around, Alex locked his gaze on the speaker, a blue armoured Great Knight. Everyone present turned as well to look at Frederick.

The Great Knight folded his arms and didn't back down under scrutiny. "It was his fault the Fell Dragon rose in the first place, its only right that he died with-" He had to stop talking at this point, because Alex's fist had collided with his jaw.

The Great knight was floored by the force of the blow. Alex stood over him, his fists clenched and one drawn back in preparation for a follow-up. Frederick caught Alex's fist and forced it away, only for Alex to respond with a swift kick the knight's chest powerful enough to dent the metal.

Alex didn't even notice all he knew was that his man had insulted his friend's memory and that he was going to pay for it. His fist collided with the knights nose, sending a spurt of blood onto the grass.

Frederick finally forced the Dread Fighter off of him and, quickly getting to his feet, grabbed his lance. Alex didn't waste a moment in drawing his sword and axe.

The two men glared at each other before a voice stopped them.

Turning, Alex saw Marc come between the pair, to boy's face looked calm, even though tears were forming in his eyes.

The tactician-in-training turned to Alex. "My father wouldn't want you to do this, Alex. He would be very disappointed in you right now." His voice was firm, just like Robin's would have been.

Alex was still for a moment before letting out a deep breath and sheathing his weapons.

Frederick was about to speak when another voice called to him. Turning to find the source, his heart almost burst when he saw the look on Chrom's face. The exalt looked furious and his hand was on the hilt of the Exalted Falchion.

Chrom looked at his former deputy with barely contained rage, and would probably have attacked the knight himself if Alex hadn't beaten him to it. However, Marc's words impacted him as well. He knew Robin well enough to know that he wouldn't have approved of this.

Frederick approached his lord and knelt, showing his respect in hopes of appeasing the blue haired man.

"Frederick, you are dismissed." The Great Lord said through his teeth.

Frederick was confused. "Dismissed, Milord?"

Chrom glared down at the man. "Until further notice, you are dismissed from my service. Leave."

Frederick was sure his heart had stopped at those words. Lowering his head, the former knight got to his feet and left.

Sumia hadn't noticed the other's actions at all. She hadn't ceased sobbing for an instant. She embraced Cynthia and Morgan as they came to her. Ruby stayed with her and continued to give her support. Marc approached his mother and was caught in the embrace as well, finally letting his tears fall.

Present Time

The memory of the family had driven Alex and Ruby away from the Shepherds and back to their usual life, traveling and solving problems. He had been surprised when Inigo and Owain had asked to join them, but knew they were good men, so had allowed it.

They had asked Sumia and her children to join them as well, but they had declined politely, saying that they had some things to do in Ylisstol. Accepting this, the mercs had wished them luck and took their leave, heading north.

They had arrived in the frozen nation of Regna Ferox quickly enough and took a pair of rooms in an inn fairly quickly, not wanting to travel much in the recent days.

Alex was finishing his dinner when the door to the inn opened and a man in the garb of a Plegian messenger entered. Taking a look around, he met eyes with Alex and approached the table.

Alex immediately tensed, his hand landing on his sword hilt. The messenger noticed this and raised his hands to appear non-threatening. "Peace sir. I am only here to deliver this letter. Are you Alex, leader of the Vincere Fati mercenary group?"

Alex nodded slowly, causing the messenger to smile. He pulled a letter from his robe and handed it to the Dread Fighter before leaving the group be and heading for the door.

Alex opened the letter and quickly read it's contents. After he reached the end, his face went blank.

Concerned, Ruby took the letter from her brother and read it as well, with the same response. Getting to their feet, the twins turned to the others.

"Grab your things, we're going to Plegia."

Ylisstol

Chrom sat in his throne, holding court for the day, listening to the same nobles speak every time. It had been six months since Grima's defeat he had to settle back into his routine of running the country. The nobles squabbled over petty issues, like a slight decrease in amount of crops a county had produced to an old debt that needed to be settled. Chrom remained seated and attempted to appear alert, but after several minutes he became exasperated. He felt that he had put this issue to bed dozens of times, but it was brought up yet again. He was about to dismiss his court for the day when his knight captain suddenly opened the massive door that stood on the far end of the hall.

Surprised Chrom turned his attention to the new arrival. "Stahl, what is it?"

Stahl entered the room with a slight air of confidence. He had settled into his role very well, but was uncomfortable in some aspects. "Milord, a Plegian messenger has arrived and asks to deliver his message to you personally."

Chrom nodded. "Send him in." He spoke carefully. His nation's relationship with Plegia was in a very dangerous state. If he said something wrong now, it could lead to another war with the desert nation.

Nodding, Stahl left the room, only to return with the messenger behind him.

The messenger stepped forward, looking the Exalt in the eye. Chrom's eyes were hard. He knew he shouldn't hate the country, but his feelings would not subside.

The messanger waited for the Exalt's signal to speak. "Lord Exalt, I come here on the request of the new King of Plegia. He has asked that you come to Carrion Isle in one weeks' time so the two of you might discus the peace of both your nations."

Chrom was still for a moment. He knew what had happened last time he had trusted Plegian diplomacy, but he needed to protect his people. "I will meet your king. Tell him I accept his invitation."

With that, the messenger bowed and left.

Chrom sighed and stood. He would not be caught unaware this time. He sent word to his Shepard's to prepare to march. He would not be unprepared if the Plegians betrayed him again.

As they were getting ready to leave, he saw with surprise that Sumia had joined then. She had refused formal reinstatement into the Shephereds, but was accompanying them on this mission along with her children. When he asked them why, they told him they wanted to honour Robin's memory.

Chrom nodded and led the march out of the city.


	2. Chapter 2

Carrion Isle

Lord Gigory sat at the council table, his gaze landing on the only other person in the room. "Your Grace, I must again ask that you reconsider about your guard. Surly you would rather have a professionally trained group guarding you?"

The King lowered his head in a sigh. "We have discussed this. I want people I trust. People I know can be relied on."

The noble scoffed. "A few mercs will not do that, my lord. Mercs would slit your throat in the night for a few gold coins."

The king shook his head. "Not these mercs. They work for something other than coin."

The noble scoffed once again, folding his arms. "Mercs work for money alone, it is a known fact. The king of a nation needs a professional guard."

The king turned his gaze to the noble's eyes. "And who would you have me take as my guard? Most of the Plegian army was destroyed by the Fell Dragon."

Lord Gigory was about to argue more when one of the fortress lookouts entered the room, bowing respectfully to his new king.

"My lord, the Ylissian diplomats have arrived."

The king nodded. "Thank you. Have them admitted and brought to the main hall. I will receive them there."

Nodding, the lookout turned and ran off the follow his king's orders.

Lord Gigory was surprised at this. "I have never seen a Plegian solider so ready to follow orders before. Why are they so loyal to you?"

The king rose from his chair and turned to leave. "Maybe because they're not being ruled by fear anymore." With that, the king left the room and headed to his chamber to prepare to receive his guests.

Lord Gigory wanted to disagree with his new king, but he found he couldn't. Under Gangrel, if a messenger returned with a dissatisfactory reply to a message, the messenger would be missing a head within a day. Validar hadn't been much better, letting the kingdom fall into ruin as he ordered more and more extreme measures in worship of the Fell Dragon, until most of the Plegian people had been devoured by the beast in it's resurrection.

This new king, however, was proving to be quite an improvement. He didn't seem to be motivated by blood-lust or religious madness. He only wanted what was best for his people. The noble might not have said it, but he had more confidence in this new king ruling then anyone else.

Sighing, Lord Grigory got to his feet and left to prepare for the journey back to his estates on the mainland.

After being admitted, Chrom entered the fortress with Olivia, Lucina and Stahl at his side. Sumia and her children entered at the same time, but they stayed several meters behind them, refusing to become part of their group. The Exalt stopped in front of a pair of massive doors that led into the reception area of the fort, waiting for this new king to send his messenger to receive them.

However, the Exalt was not prepared for who opened the doors the greet them.

"Hello, Father." Said Inigo as he and his cousin entered the room.

Chrom was startled. "Inigo, what are you doing here?"

The hero's expression changed to a smug grin. "I'm in the employ of the new king, of course. I am a mercenary."

Lucina suddenly stepped forward, her eyes disbelieving. "How can you work for a Plegian?!" She demanded. "You know what they tried to do to the world!"

Inigo's eyes hardened as he turned to look his sister in the eye. "He offered me a contract, I accepted. Simple as that. I am able to make my own decisions, aren't I?"

Lucina looked like she wanted to say more, but a look from Chrom stopped her. The Exalt turned back to his son. "Alright. Who is this new king? His name hasn't been released to the public yet. Why?"

This time, Owain answered. "It was the intention of the new king to establish a firm hold on Plegia before he revealed himself to the public. He is ready to accept diplomats now, but he is still facing opposition from some of the other nobles."

Before Chrom could reply, Inigo spoke. "This is a conversation you should be having with the king. Please, this way." He gestured to the door and both mercs entered the main hall, followed by the Ylissian diplomatic envoy.

Once Chrom had entered the hall, he was startled by how different it looked from the last time he had entered. Before, giant tapestries displaying the mark of Grima had covered the walls, and there were statues for the Fell Dragon in every corner.

Now the hall was quite different. The tapestries were gone, showing the stone underneath and the statues had been removed. The hall had been eerie before, but know it was much more comfortable. Now it looked like a place of business instead of fanatical worship.

Standing on the far end of the room, looking out a giant window at the sea, was a man in dark cloak, his face and most of his body concealed by it. Standing on either side of the window were the recognizable forms of Alex and Ruby as they survived the incoming party. Their gazes were level, like they were waiting for the group to do something.

When they arrived in the center of the room, Chrom spoke.

"Lord of Plegia, I received your message and came to your fortress. What business do you wish to discuss?" Chrom was kept his voice level, but could hardly contain his distaste. This was another man in power in a nation that had caused him nothing but grief, taking both his sister and his best friend from him.

The king turned and approached the Ylissian party, his face still covered by his cloak. Alex and Ruby escorted him until they were closer to the Exalt and able to speak.

"Exalt of Ylisse. I asked you to come here so we might have peace between our nations. This is not an easy task, I admit. Several of my court are demanding I take action after a few incidents that have occurred."

Chrom raised an eyebrow. "Incidents?"

The Plegian King nodded slightly, folding his arms. "There have been reports that armed forces have raided several villages in Plegia, near the border. I have taken steps to protect them, but I must have the answer to this question. Did you order these attacks?" His tone was expressionless, but Chrom could detect a slight hint of anger in the King's voice.

Before Chrom could respond, Lucina stepped forward, her hand on her Falchion. "How dare you! Your nation has been nothing but a blight upon this world since it was founded, and now here you stand, accusing my father of attacking you?!"

"Lucina!" Chrom spoke, his voice heavy. He knew that Lucina had quite an attitude towards Plegia, due the country's role in resurrecting the Fell Dragon, but this was going too far. "We are here for diplomacy! Control yourself!"

Lucina let out a deep breath and stepped back, but her glare did not change.

The Plegian King turned the Exalt. "I understand how my question sounds, but consider this from my prospective. Villages are attacked in my nation, near the border of another nation where many people share a similar view to your daughter. I had to be sure you did not have a part in this.

The Exalt nodded. "I understand, but I assure you, I had nothing to do with this."

The King nodded again. "Of course, Lord Exalt. I know you well enough to believe you."

Chrom was confused. "Have we met? I'm afraid I don't recall."

The King let out a sigh. "Still as oblivious as ever, Captain."

Chrom was startled once again. The only people who referred to him as Captain were…

"Who are you?" Chrom demanded.

The king finally lowered his hood.

Chrom didn't move. He recognized the dark red hair and the sharp face. He eventually settling his gaze on the pure black eyes that always appeared to be calculating.

"Welcome to my realm, Chrom." Said Robin, his eyes locked with the Exalt's as Exellion hung from his belt.


	3. Chapter 3

There was a stunned silence in the hall for a moment as Chrom absorbed this. He was about to speak when there was the sound of running feet behind him and a very fast and very happy red-haired Pegasus knight slammed into Robin's chest, knocking him to the ground.

Robin smiled as Cynthia clung to his chest, crying and smiling and giving thanks to Naga. He shifted his arms and gave her a tight embrace, stroking her hair as she let out her feelings.

This continued for several moments before Cynthia had calmed down enough for Robin to get back on his feet.

Chrom approached his fallen friend with a smile as he helped the fallen Grandmaster back to his feet. "So you did survive."

Robin nodded. His expression had changed from sympathetic joy to his traditional business expression. "Yes, Chrom. I believe that to be obvious." His voice was level.

Lucina approached, her gaze level and her hand on her Falchion. Alex and Ruby took note of this and stayed close to Robin, ready to intercept if she attacked.

"How are you alive?" The princess demanded.

Robin returned her gaze. "Naga told me that if my bonds to this world were strong enough, I would survive killing Grima. They apparently were, so here I am."

Lucina's gaze remained hard. "How do you know Grima's dead then?"

Robin's gaze went to his right hand, where there was once a Grimleal tattoo. "Naga told me that he would die if I killed him, so I did. Maybe you should ask your divine dragon yourself if you don't believe me."

Lucina glared at Robin for a moment before turning on her heel and leaving the room.

Chrom turned to his friend. "Robin, I'm sorry. I-"

"Don't." Robin raised his hand, cutting off his friend. "She will never believe anything I have to say, so I don't care anymore."

Chrom let out a sigh. "All right then." His expression changed to a smile. "At least you're coming home."

Robin looked up to glare at the Exalt. "What made you think I was going with you?"

Chrom was startled. He had expected Robin to want to return to Ylisstol and for things to return to normal. "What about the Shepherds? You can't still be holding a grudge against them!"

Robin's eyes sparked with fury. "A GRUDGE!?" He practically shouted. "They were calling for my head, Chrom. They wanted me dead. I can't trust them, not now, not ever again."

Chrom opened his mouth to argue, but his voice failed him as he took in Robin's words.

"I have told you what I needed to tell you, Lord Exalt." Robin continued. "You are now free to leave my realm. Return to your own and look after your nation. I will send a letter if we must speak again."

With those words, Robin turned and returned to his position by the window. Chrom tried to approach him, only to be stopped by Alex.

"The King has ended this meeting, and asked you to leave, sir." The Dread Fighter's voice was firm and commanding, telling the Exalt exactly what he meant.

With one last glance at Robin, Chrom sighed and exited to room with his escort, ready to return to Ylisstol.

At this point Sumia came forward.

Robin turned to look his fiancé in the eye, but found he couldn't. He simply kept his gaze on the floor spoke. "Sumia, I'm sorry. I had to-"He couldn't continue speaking, because Sumia had promptly slapped him across the face. Robin had expected her reaction to be along these lines, but was still surprised by the force behind it. Before he could respond, however, the silver haired Dark Flier pulled him into a tight embrace, her eyes starting to water.

When Sumia spoke, her voice shaking as tried to stop herself from crying. "I knew you would return. I knew you would come back."

Robin returned her embrace, his expression softening. Morgan and Marc approached their parents, happy tears building in their eyes.

Robin smiled at his family. "I'm sorry I had to leave you all, but I'm back now. I promise I will never leave any of you again."

Several days later

Robin's return to the Plegian capital was met with a joyous reception from the citizens. They had long accepted that Robin was by far a more adept ruler then Validar or Gangrel had ever been, actually tending to issues throughout the country instead of pushing for another war with Ylisse or forcing them into servitude to a god of destruction.

The moment they entered the castle, however, a young man in the garb of a steward ran to Robin's side.

"Your Grace, the council has assembled and they await you now. They have several issues they would like to discuss with you." He spoke quickly, holding a scheduling book in open on one arm while holding the other under the words.

Robin nodded before turning to Sumia. He was about to speak when she cut him off. "It's alright Robin. I'll be waiting for you when you're finished."

Smiling at his fiancé, Robin nodded before turning and walking down the hall.

Following the steward's, Sumia entered Robin's quarters. She took in the room, noting the large stone tablet that was set into the wall. Inscribed on it were names, and if she remembered her history correctly, they were names of previous rulers of Plegia. As her eyes trailed downwards, however, they saw that the last name on the tablet was scratched out until it was unrecognizable.

Noticing Sumia's confusion, the steward spoke. "King Robin did that himself. Not just here, either."

Sumia turned to look at him. "What do you mean?"

"His Grace has ordered that Validar's name be struck from every record, public and private alike. He said he wanted the man's name to be lost to history and never spoken again."

Sumia wasn't surprised. He knew the attitude Robin had towards his father.

The steward turned to her. "I'm sorry, but I must return to my duties."

After receiving a nod of confirmation, the steward turned and left, leaving Sumia and her children alone in Robin's quarters.

The council chamber

"My Lord, there was another attack on a village near the border, but the guards you dispatched were able to protect the civilians quiet effectively." Said Lord Grigory as the council session began.

Robin nodded. "Good. The guards stationed there are to remain there until the villages are no longer in danger."

"No longer in danger?" came the voice of Lord Saren. "As long as they are near the border with that damned Exalt, the Ylissians will continue to attack them! We must respond to these offences now, your grace!"

Robin turned to glare at the noble, but said nothing. Turning back to Lord Grigory. "I have met with the Exalt and he assured me that his army has played no part in these attacks. I know him well enough to believe him in this case. I am going to dispatch a squad of wyvern lords to locate the source of these attacks."

Nodding, Lord Grigory looked at a roll of parchment that lay in front of him. "The next item on the agenda for the day is, as many nobles have requested, your marriage, your grace."

Robin sighed. "Again?"

Lord Grigory nodded. "Many nobles are pressing you for an answer to their offers."

Robin sat back in his chair, feeling exasperated. Since the moment he took the throne, many of Plegia's nobility had attempted to raise their status be binding their house to the throne. He had met with each of the offers and had made it very clear that he wasn't interested in any of them, but that didn't deter them. They would be back and offering again by the end of the week.

Lord Saren had stayed silent until this moment. "My lord, if I may be so bold, my own daughter Anne is of marrying age as well."

Robin had met Anne several months ago. She was a sweet girl, truth be told. Not stuck-up in the slightest. Instead, she was calm and treated everyone she met with respect.

"Lady Anne is beautiful woman, Lord Saren, but I'm afraid there will be no wedding between us."

Lord Saren crossed his arms. "Your grace, we must be practical about this. Plegia needs a queen and an heir if you wish to remain on the throne."

Robin nodded and stood from his seat. "I know, Lord Saren, and I'm hoping to give it a queen soon enough."

With those words, Robin dismissed his small council and turned towards his quarters.


	4. Chapter 4

Robin entered his quarters to find Sumia waiting for him, reading a book from his shelf. When she noticed his entrance, the Dark Flier lowered the book and met her fiancé's eyes. Smiling, he sat next to her on his bed.

"Sumia, I need to talk to you." He began trying to keep his unease under control.

Sumia noticed the way he was shifting and placed a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to calm him. "Robin, what's wrong."

The Plegian king let out a deep breath. "It's about us."

Sumia looked confused. "What do you mean?"

Robin's gaze fell to the floor. "Sumia, my court has been pressuring me to take a wife. I want that to be you."

Sumia's confusion grew. "Robin, I already said yes when you proposed, why would that change?"

Robin's gaze didn't leave the floor. "Sumia, if we got married, you would become queen of Plegia. Some members of my court wouldn't like that. You would be under constant scrutiny and some outright aggression. I need you know what you would be agreeing to if we did this."

Sumia was silent before she placed his hand on Robin's cheek, turning it to look her in the eye. "Robin, I love you. I want to help you rule this nation better than anyone ever has. I know you can do that, and I want to be there when you do."

Robin smiled. "Thank you, Sumia."

Sumia and Robin met in a passionate kiss before going to bed for the evening.

The Saren estate

Lord Saren entered his estate with a look of exasperation on his face. His servants knew better then to approach him in this state. The noble threw himself onto a chair, holding his head in his hands as he messaged his temples.

Why was the king not agreeing to his proposal? He himself had said that he found Anne beautiful, and she was of Plegian nobility, a suitable match. But the king still refused to wed her. Lord Saren clenched his fists. If Anne became queen, their house would be much stronger forever, as her children would rule after Robin and her.

Lord Saren had been tempted in the beginning to simple have Robin assassinated. He was a very influential man in Plegia, in an ideal position to take the throne if Robin was disposed of. However, the current political situation prevented this approach.

If the king were to be killed so soon after taking the throne, Lord Saren would have been the primary suspect, being the closest noble to taking the throne. The people would undoubtedly blame him, regardless of whether or not he had a part in it.

Thinking about the problems that Robin had faced in the past months, he saw that Robin was actually the better man for the role in this case. He was intelligent, gentle and protective, three qualities that a strong ruler needed.

He, on the other hand, found that he would have been unable to achieve the results that Robin had. Looking back, he probably would be building another army for a war against Ylisse in retribution for the attacks on the villages. He was sure they were the ones responsible, so why would he attempt to discover the truth if he already knew it?

Sighing, Lord Saren shook his head and retired for the evening.

One week later

Lord Saren was at his desk signing papers regarding the demolition of several temples of Grima in his territory. With the Fell Dragon dead, there was no reason to worship it anymore, even more when the king had outlawed the Grimleal altogether. That decision had not gone so well. Several nobles had protested, but Robin hadn't relented. He had shown the country what their past actions had let too and was not going to allow it to happen again.

The sound of approaching footsteps alerted him to his steward approaching.

"My Lord" the steward began. "The King has sent a letter, requesting you and your house to come to castle Plegia as soon as possible. He has a matter of great importance to discuss with Plegia's nobility. It appears he has come to a decision on the question of marriage."

Lord Saren's heart swelled and expression twisted into a grin. Calling his daughter to the carriage, they were on their way to the castle in only an hour.

Plegia Castle

Robin sat in his throne, waiting for his court to assemble, Alex standing a step behind him. Sitting closest to them was Lord Grigory, as he had proven a loyal supporter of Robin since he had been crowned and had helped in the few uneasy months in building his reputation with the civilians of his nation.

Looking to the side, Robin saw the empty throne beside his own, where the future queen would be seated by the end of the day. Robin let out a deep breath. Hopefully this meeting would not end badly.

Finally, the last of the nobles had settled into their seats. Lord Saren sat next to his daughter, his eyes locked on the king.

Taking one last deep breath, Robin spoke, his voice resonation throughout the room thanks to a rather cunning spell he had learned.

"Welcome, noble lords, to my court. This marks the second time I have gathered you all in this room, the first being my coronation."

Everyone in the room accepted this as Robin took another deep breath before continuing. "I believe that all present have been curious as to who shall be your new queen."

Again, the nobles accepted this. Lord Saren's gaze became harder as Robin continued.

"I have gathered you here because I have made a decision. I have discussed this with a worthy woman and she has agreed to become my wife and your queen."

Lord Saren's gaze hardened. The king had not met with Anne, so who was Robin talking about?

Receiving some unspoken signal, the doors at the end of the chamber opened.

Everyone present turned their gaze to the door.

Sumia entered the room, escorted by Ruby.

Robin stood and as Sumia approached, took her hand before she turned to face the court. Her face was brave, but inside she was panicked, almost wanting to run out of the room and never return.

Robin resumed speaking. "Some of you might know Sumia. She fought by my side during the war against the Fell Dragon, and she has proven herself more than worthy of this title. She shall be your queen."

Robin let out a deep breath and lowered his head slightly. He knew what was coming, so was not surprised to hear several outraged cries resonate from the nobles of his court.

One of the offended nobles stood. "A Ylissian cannot rule Plegia! It is forbidden!"

Robin had been prepared for this argument. "Who made this law you speak of?"

The noble folded his arms. "King Gangrel, following the first war against Ylisse."

Robin's expression hardened. "And you are trusting the word of a warmongering psychopath, over me?"

The noble froze as eyes settled on him. He was silent for a few moments before he settled back into his seat.

Lord Grigory stood. "My fellow nobles. I know how this seems, but I can personally assure you that Lady Sumia is worthy of standing by our king. I have shared several conversations with her and have found her to be a gentle spirit with a strong heart. She has the makings of a great queen and if our king agrees, who are we to disagree with him? He has led us to this time of prosperity, so why should we doubt him now?"

The noble's words struck every noble in the room. Most were now looking with approval at the royal couple.

"I am in support of this marriage, and I ask that you all agree." Lord Grigory continued. "Who else in this room shall support them?"

There was a short pause before another noble stood, followed by another and another until most of the room was standing.

Robin smiled as Lord Grigory turned to him. "It seems that the court has agreed with you, your grace."

"It seems so." Responded the tactician-king.

The court began making the future queen's acquaintance, welcoming her to the court. Sumia smiled and greeted each of them with her usual kindness, strengthening the court's faith in the upcoming marriage.

Nobody noticed Lord Saren had not approached the thrones while his daughter had, and had instead stayed in his seat, glaring at Robin.


	5. Chapter 5

Plegia Castle

Cynthia knelt in the closest the castle had to a garden. Plegia's climate made it difficult for most flowers to grow, but the kinds that did grow were plentiful. She was gathering up another handful for her fortunes when she heard footsteps behind him.

"Hello, beautiful." Said Inigo as he walked up next to her.

"Hello, Inigo." Cynthia responded. She knew the hero well enough to know that he wasn't going to stop trying to flirt with her, but now she found him quite entertaining.

Inigo knelt next to her. "What are you doing?"

"I'm gathering flowers for flower fortunes." The Pegasus knight responded.

Inigo was silent for a moment before he spoke again. "How do you feel about your father coming back?" He mentally smacked himself. Of course she was happy, she showed as much on Carrion Isle.

Cynthia turned to look Inigo in the eye for the first time since he came here. "Inigo, why do you flirt with me all the time? I've watched you since I got here, and I haven't seen you flirt with anyone else but me, which is quite strange if what Owain tells me is correct. So why do you only flirt with me?"

Inigo flinched visably. "W-well, Cynthia. The reason I only flirt with you is, well, I like you. Your pretty, kind and a lot of fun to be around." As the hero spoke, both his and Cynthia's faces turned a dark red. "So, Cynthia, I wanted to ask if you would go for tea with me, today."

The Pegasus knight was silent. Inigo lowered his head, knowing the signs of rejection when he saw them.

"Sure! Sounds like fun!"

Inigo's head shot up. "What?"

Cynthia smiled widely. "I said I would go get tea with you. Why wouldn't I, after what you told me earlier?"

Inigo smiled. "All right then, let's go."

The pair left the garden, Cynthia's flowers laying forgotten on the ground.

Plegia Castle Library

The twins browsed the library of Plegia with great interest. They may not have many memories, but they knew that they greatly enjoyed reading.

However, this library did not have much in the way of literary books. Most of the shelves were full of books used by the Grimleal priests in their rituals to Grima. Those books were now being removed by a group of servants and sent down to courtyard, where a large group of citizens had volunteered to assist in burning them.

Eventually, Morgan found a particular book on one of the shelves that seemed oddly familiar. Pulling it from the shelf, she read the title. "Wyvern Wars: Terror at High Noon." She turned to her brother. "Marc, do you remember reading this book?"

The red haired youth approached and read the cover. "I don't think I have, but I have a vague memory of something…."

Morgan nodded. "I think I do too. I remember laying in my bed, getting ready to go to sleep, but a warm voice was reading this book to me. I can't remember who was reading to me, but I know I felt very safe with her."

Marc turned to his twin. "Her?"

Morgan nodded. "Yes. I remember it was a woman's voice." She thought hard, but couldn't remember the woman's face.

Marc nodded. "I remember something like that. It must be from the future we came from." He pulled another copy of the book from the shelf. "Why don't we reread these? It might help us remember something?"

Morgan smiled and nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

Plegia Castle Throne Room

Robin and Sumia were holding court together for the first time, and for the first time, Robin understood Chrom's pain.

The nobles argued about everything. Robin was sure that the current debate had looped three or four times by now, with one noble requesting more guards for his estate and another arguing his need of them. Sighing, Robin let them talk until he thought of a solution to the problem that was acceptable to both.

Finally, after what seemed to be hours of debate, the nobles had reached the end of the agenda and proceeded to the exit to begin the journey back to their estates.

Robin let out a breath and leaned back in his throne, before turning to Sumia. "I told you, they can argue forever if given the chance."

Sumia smiled at her future husband. "I agree. Now, we need to go over our wedding plans."

Robin smiled. "I knew this was coming."

Sumia's expression changed to one of hurt. "You don't want to?"

Quickly, Robin realized his mistake. "No, I do want to! It's just, after everything that had to be done for Chrom and Olivia's wedding, I was hoping to never have to plan a royal wedding again. I still remember the paperwork….so much paperwork…"

Sumia let out a quiet laugh as Robin exaggeratedly sank into his throne. "It's alright, Robin. We have time to get everything ready. The wedding isn't for another month. And most of the plans are done and ready to be used. We just need to finalize everything."

Robin smiled and stood from his throne. "Then we should probably get started them." He offered Sumia his hand. "Milady."

Sumia laughed as she took her fiancé's hand. "Of course, your Grace."

Eastern Plegia

The group of Wyvern Lords approached the last village that had been attacked. Bringing their mounts to the ground, they approached the village gate.

"Ok men. This is the last village that was attacked. Our job is find out as much as we can about this enemy, and report back to his grace. Is everyone clear?"

With a series of nods, the group spread through the village, looking for anyone that could tell them anything about the attack on the village. After roughly an hour, one of the men approached the commander.

"Something to report?" the commander asked.

"Yes sir. The guards who were stationed here told me that after they had pushed the invaders out of the village, they fled north. That is likely the direction of their hideout." Said the man

The commander nodded. "Call the others. We need to ride now."

The Wyvern Lord nodded, but hesitated before walking away. "Sir, I got a description of their weapons and armour as well. They were not of Ylissian make, if the reports are accurate."

The commander didn't move. "We'll find out soon enough."

Several hours later, the Lords were back in the air, heading north. They found what appeared to be a trail, left by what appeared to be a group of people with several wounded among them. Following it, they spotted an abandoned fort.

The commander turned to his subordinates. "Alright, everyone, be careful and stay together." With that, he directed his mount towards the fort, hovering high above it as he examined the yard. Inside, he saw several figures laying around the remains of a campfire.

Very quickly, the Wyvern Lords dove into the fort, surrounding the figures with weapons drawn.

"YOU!" the leader demanded, pointing his lance at one of the figures. "GET UP! WE HAVE QUESTIONS FOR YOU!"

The figure did not respond.

"IN THE NAME OF THE KING, GET UP AND-" the commander was going to continue before one of his subordinates neared the figure.

"Hold sir. Something's not right." He carefully knelt next to the figure. "His throats been slit, sir."

Several other rider's checked the other bodies. "They all have been." One of them said, growing uneasy.

The commander was feeling similarly, his mount as well as it swept it's tail from side to side.

The group was debating what to do next when a new voice came from the wall above them.

"They brought that on themselves, you know."

The commander spun, locking his eyes of a figure leaning casually against the wall of the fort.

"Who are you!?" he demanded, gripping his lance tightly, his men following suite.

The figure didn't seem afraid, in fact he didn't display emotion at all as he spoke. "I was very disappointed with these men. They were given a simple enough task, collecting sacrifices. It's what they were good at. But, none the less, a sacrifice was made." His eyes were locked on the bodies that were arranged in a circle around what had at a distance appeared to be the remains of a campfire, but now revealed itself to be an arrangement of stones. Unnoticed by the men, the stones had begun to glow softly from within.

The commander urged his mount to move closer to the man. "What are you talking about?! What sacrifices?!"

The man turned to the commander with a bored gesture, his face still obscured. "It doesn't matter. It's too late to stop it now. This marker is complete."

The stones were now glowing brightly, but the men were too fixed on the figure to notice them.

The figure raised his hand towards the men, who prepared to attack.

"I hope you enjoy your visit to the Abyss. Do let me know what it feels like." His last words were slightly distorted as a giant flash of purple light resonated between him and the stones, before being fired from his hand, consuming the Wyvern Lords.


	6. Chapter 6

Ylisstol

Chrom sat in his throne, only half listening to his council. His mind drifted through recent events before settling on Robin once again. He remembered how the Shepherds had reacted when he told them who the new king of Plegia was, extremely conflicted.

Some of them had been relieved. They had accepted that they had been wrong to treat Robin the way they had and were glad he had survived and could hopefully forgive them. Several had since left Ylisse, hoping to reconcile with the tactician king.

Others, however, were still distrustful towards the tactician king, believing that he was still connected to Grima and was plotting something against them.

Chrom sighed as the meeting ended with no input needed from him as Olivia, seated at his side, had turned out to be an excellent politician now that she had grown used to the council.

The Exalt let out a deep breath as he and his wife retired for the evening, attempting to let his memories settle.

Plegia Castle

Robin sat in his study, going over the finalized plans for the wedding, Sumia already having retired for the evening. He was feeling slightly uneasy, as he was getting married in a few weeks, but was trying his best to keep it under control. After all, who can face down the Fell Dragon but still be afraid of a wedding?

Hearing the sound of the door opening, the tactician king turned to see his steward had entered.

"Begging your pardon, your grace, but a small group has arrived from Ylisse and are requesting an audience.

Robin's expression changed to confusion. He had received no letter from Chrom regarding an emissary, so, sighing, he responded. "See them in. I'll meet them here."

Nodding, the steward left.

Robin stood and straightened his cloak, making himself presentable for whoever had decided to visit him.

No amount of preparation could have been adequate.

As soon as the doors opened, someone very short and very strong burst though and tackled in what Robin assumed to be a hug. Looking down, he saw a very familiar manakete.

"Nowi, what are you doing here!?"

Nowi released the grandmaster and took a step back, still bouncing on her heels excitedly. "We came to visit you, silly! That's what friends do!"

Robin looked at her, confused. "We?"

"Heyo, Robin! Looks like you did survive. Awesome!" came a voice from the hallway.

Turning, Robin saw Henry enter the room, his usual grin still in place. Behind him, came Noire and Nah, both of whom looked quite happy to see him.

Robin's expression was growing more and more confused as this encounter dragged on. "Why are all of you here? Shouldn't you be in Ylisse?"

Henry and Nowi's constant smiles shrank slightly as the Sorcerer spoke. "Well for one, we wanted to thank you for looking after our little girl during the war."

Robin didn't understand until he saw that Nah was blushing and looking the other way, her white hair attempting to cover her eyes.

Nodding, Robin looked Nowi in the eye, as Henry kept his eyes shut most of the time. "You're welcome. Now what else are the four of you here for?"

It was Nowi's turn to look confused. "Four? There are five of us, Robin!"

Robin's confusion grew until he heard a slightly sinister laugh from the hall behind them and felt a familiar, but still disturbing presence.

Swallowing, he spoke. "Hello, Tharja."

The Sorceress entered the room, her eyes locked on the tactician king.

Robin didn't react, having grown used to Tharja's desiring glare long ago.

Turning back to his desk, the tactician king returned to his seat. "So what are you doing here?"

Tharja strolled to Robin's side and latched onto his arm. "Well, we are all hoping to stay in Plegia and serve our homeland….and it's new ruler, of course."

Robin shook his arm free off Tharja's grip. "Alright then. You are free to stay in Plegia. Now, if you will excuse me, I have some rather important work to finish."

Tharja looked down at the papers in front of him, glancing over them until a word caught her eye. "Who's getting married?" Her tone was dangerously low.

Robin turned to the group once more. "I am. Sumia and I are getting married in three weeks' time."

Tharja froze, her gaze wide, before spinning on her heel and exiting the room, Noire right behind her.

Nowi looked up at Robin, a hopeful expression on her face. "So, you're getting married?"

Robin nodded.

Nowi rocked on her heels again. "So…"

Robin sighed. "Yes, you can come."

Smiling widely, the immature duo left the room, Nah following behind them after giving Robin a respectful bow.

Robin turned to his desk and sighed. He had a lot more work to do.

Eastern Valm

The cloaked man climbed the hill that overlooked the countryside, thinking over recent events.

His confrontation with the Wyvern Lords had been unfortunate, as it required him to speed up his plans. When they didn't report back at the required time, that damned tactician was sure to note that something was wrong.

However, he also knew that had another month to prepare before the Lords would have needed to report, giving him ample time.

Reaching the top of the hill, the man looked down into the plains, a wicked smile pulling at his face.

Down far below him, partially covered in sand, sat the remains of the Fell Dragon.

The man's smile grew as he approached the remains until he was close enough to touch them. Reaching forward, he placed a hand on the great beast's skull.

Taking a deep breath, the man recited his spell, feeling power being pulled from the beast's remains and into his body.

He stood there for what felt like hours, but the man knew mere minutes had passed until the flow of energy slowed and the man removed his hand. Looking at his palm, he spoke quietly to himself.

"Enough. Not much left, but enough. Now that I have the key, I just need to find the lock."

Smiling wickedly to himself as he turned away from the Fell Dragon's body, heading west.

**A/N: And I'm back. Anyone who read the athour's note in The Rebellion knows where I was. Also, sorry for the short Chapter, but I wanted to get something up and this is a good start to get back into this story. Next time, THE ROYAL WEDDING! **


	7. Chapter 7

Plegia Castle

Finally, after weeks of planning and nerve-wracking tension, the day finally came. People from all over the country flocked to the capital to see their new queen and finally have a bright future to look forward too after the dark days of the recent past.

Sumia was at the moment being dressed in her gown, her two daughters helping and trying not to cry. Finally, after what felt like years of preparation, the Dark Flier stood and turned to her children. "How do I look?"

Cynthia and Morgan had been on the verge of tears for a while, but seeing their mother in her wedding dress, ready to marry their father was what finally set them off. Happy tears slid down their faces as Sumia smiled and put a hand on their shoulders.

Ruby entered the room. "My lady, you look beautiful!"

Sumia turned to her friend. "Ruby, I think we can leave the formalities behind in here. It's just us, after all."

Ruby smiled and nodded. "Of course, Sumia. It's just, with my new duties as a member of the royal guard, I have to maintain a certain level of professionalism."

Sumia nodded. "I know, but today, you're not here a royal guard. Today, you're here as my maid-of-honor, remember?"

Ruby smile widened. "Yes and I thank you for that. Now, I probably should get ready myself. The ceremony starts in a few hours."

Sumia nodded. "Of course."

Ruby turned and left, leaving Sumia with her daughters to wait for the ceremony to begin.

Several hours later

The wedding went exactly according to plan, everything in place. Sumia and Robin stood in front of the altar, a priest performing the service. Ruby stood by Sumia's side and Alex stood by Robin.

When the service was concluded and the king and queen kissed for the first time as a married couple, everyone in attendance broke into wild applause.

The wedding reception took place afterwards, many people going to join the royal couple on the dance floor.

Cynthia was currently sitting with her siblings at a table in the corner, happy chatting away and watching her parents dance and interact with other Plegian nobles.

She was laughing at a rather funny joke her brother had made when she heard a cough from behind her. Turning in her seat, she found Inigo, dressed in formal attire, standing behind her, his face a bright pink.

"Hello, Cynthia." He began, his gaze wandering around her face but never meeting her eye.

The Pegasus knight smiled. "Hello, Inigo. Did you need something?"

The blue-haired hero rubbed the back of his head, his gaze still not meeting her eye. "Well, you don't seem to be here with anyone, besides your siblings of course." He added the last part when Morgan and Marc began to open their mouths to take offence.

Cynthia nodded. "No, I don't have a date if that's what you're asking."

Inigo finally smiled and looked her in the eye. "So, would you care to dance with me?"

Cynthia's face exploded with color at this question before she gave a quick nod and took Inigo's hand. Turning to her siblings, she saw that Morgan was smiling encouragingly at her while Marc was giving Inigo what she thought as a look of warning, as in 'try anything with my sister and I'll set fire to you'.

Inigo noticed as well and paled slightly, but Cynthia quickly took the initiative and let him onto the dance floor.

Robin and Sumia noticed this as well, Sumia smiling widely while Robin had a similar look as Marc did.

Marc's expression didn't change for several moments as he watched Inigo and Cynthia dance, before someone else caught his eye.

Morgan saw this as well. "Wow! Noire looks beautiful!"

The shy archer was sitting at a table on the far side of the room with Nah, her mother sitting at a different table and glaring at Sumia with so much anger she could have used as a heating system.

But Noire was the one who caught Marc's eye. She was wearing a dress similar to the one her mother was wearing, but in Marc's opinion, it suited the archer better than the sorceress. Her dark hair was also neatly arranged in a presentable fashion.

Morgan turned to her brother and saw that he was watching the archer with an awestruck look on his face. Knowing what to do in this situation, Morgan gave her brother's shoulder a light shove. "Go ask her to dance."

Marc turned to meet his sister's eye. "W-What?"

Morgan's smile was starting to make her brother very uncomfortable. "I said, go ask her to dance. I see you looking at her, so why not?"

Marc was slightly panicked by his sister's suggestion before she decided to take matters into her own hands. Getting up, Morgan walked over to the archer's table and sat down, starting to happily chat along with her friends, before she turned to Noire and said a few words that made the archer's face turn a dark red and leave to table to join Marc, leaving Morgan and Nah to talk amongst themselves.

Noire sat down in the chair previously occupied by Morgan, her gaze locked on the floor. "M-Morgan said you wanted to talk to me…."

Marc's attention was drawn to Morgan and Nah, who were watching with interest, before he turned back to Noire. "Well, I was hoping you would…dance we me?"

The archer didn't respond immediately, but eventually met Marc's eye and nodded, taking his hand.

As the pair walked onto the floor, Marc felt like something very distressing was watching him. Taking a look behind him, he saw that Tharja had taken her gaze off of Sumia and was now giving him a glare that said exactly what it meant.

Suddering slightly, Marc tried to ignore her as he and Noire began to dance.

Western Ylisse

"So, we are clear?" asked the cloaked man as he took in the bandits that were grabbing axes and preparing for a good-old-fashioned pillage.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Capture, don't kill. We get it!" came the bandit leader's response as he grabbed his short axe.

The cloaked man nodded. "Good. Remember, no captives, no pay. Bring them to the spot alive, or don't come at all." With that, he muttered some strange words under his breath, a flash of light surrounded him and he vanished.

Shaking his head, the bandit leader turned to his underlings. "Alright, you idiots! Let's get to the raiding! Those idiot farmers don't even live in that perfectly good fort!" He pointed to a large building nearby before continuing. "Let's get this over with quickly and get paid!"

With a loud yell, the bandits charged towards the village.

This yell allowed a certain villager to notice them and run into the town square and find his mother. "Ma, get everyone into the town hall! Bandits are coming!"

The woman turned to her son, her eyes displaying her fear. "What about you?"

"I'll deal with 'em. Just get everyone to the hall!" his country accent rang loud into the air and people already began to run for the hall.

His mother was about to leave, but turned to her son one last time. "Are you sure?"

Smiling, the villager walked over to his house and grabbed a few things before returning to his mother. "Don't worry." He said as he placed an old tin pot on his head and held his steel sword in front of him. "I can do this."

When the bandits did arrive in town, they were quickly disappointed when the streets appeared deserted, exept for a single villager, holding a sword.

Laughing, the bandit leader stepped forward, brandishing his axe before flinging it at the boy. Faster than expected, the villager flung himself to the ground, rolled under the axe and came up running before slashing the bandit across the torso, killing him instantly.

Seeing their leader fall so easily spooked the other bandits, who quickly dropped their weapons and sprinted away, leaving the villager to smile and sheath his sword. Turning, he saw his mother come running out of the hall.

"Oh, Donny! Thank Naga your alright!" She cried before embracing the boy tightly.

Donnel smiled at his mother. "Don't worry, ma. I promised I'd keep this village safe, didn't I?"

Smiling, his mother led him back to the town hall.

On a hill overlooking this scene, a dark cloaked man glared down at the village before turning and leaving.


End file.
